Bale declared yesterday he was ready to test himself in Spain, where Real Madrid and Barcelona are keen.

The Telegraph says it is significant, though, that Bale signed a four-year deal during the summer that tied him to the club until 2016 on £75,000 a week.

That would place Tottenham in a strong negotiating position if Bale did decide to leave and serious offers were made by Barcelona or Real Madrid.

With Spurs having successfully held out for £30 million for Luka Modric last summer, it is difficult to imagine Levy even considering any offers below £40 million for Bale. The Spanish clubs can take heart, however, from that fact that Levy has shown that he is willing to sell a star player if the money is right.